Elk, bison, alligator, rattler attacks this week

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Just got back from Yellow Stone. You just can't believe the stupidity of people. We were headed back to West Yellow Stone on Wednesday and saw a family of 4 headed across a meadow, cameras in hand, to get closer to 3 or 4 bison. The bison were already only about 30 yards from the parking area. We didn't have time to stick around and watch the outcome.
 
Tourist season-A.K.A. "The season of the idiot." Graduated from MSU Bozeman back in the early 80's. Had to stop going to Yellowstone trying to appreciate the wildlife because of the tourists from spring through fall. The stupidity of SO MANY was mind boggling. As a kid camping in G.N.P. every summer with my family the activities and behaviors made a young boy wonder WTH . The power of the North Fork of the Flathead River is NOT to be trifled with.
 
When I occasionally worked for the parks twenty years back, there was a great little book circulating, published by Parks Canada, titled something like "When Do You Let The Animals Out?"

It was a collection of silly questions and other stupidities emanating from park visitors. One of my favorites: "At what age does a deer turn into an elk?"

There are stories (maybe, hopefully a bit hyperbolic) from the old days when even the Park Service played along and set up "bear watching" at the open garbage dumps near the lodges, of folks trying to put their toddlers on the backs of black bears for a "ride" or on one occasion smearing honey on a kid hoping to get a cute photo of the bear licking the kid. I think the rangers stopped that one in time.
 
When I occasionally worked for the parks twenty years back, there was a great little book circulating, published by Parks Canada, titled something like "When Do You Let The Animals Out?"

It was a collection of silly questions and other stupidities emanating from park visitors. One of my favorites: "At what age does a deer turn into an elk?"

There are stories (maybe, hopefully a bit hyperbolic) from the old days when even the Park Service played along and set up "bear watching" at the open garbage dumps near the lodges, of folks trying to put their toddlers on the backs of black bears for a "ride" or on one occasion smearing honey on a kid hoping to get a cute photo of the bear licking the kid. I think the rangers stopped that one in time.

My father told me of Rangers in GNP with HUGE clubs that would drive the bears out of the garbage. He said more than once he witnessed a ranger walk up to a bear with its head in a garbage can/container and swing with all his might hitting the bear smack dead on the butt. Bear would let out a woof and a bawl and tear out of there like some one had hooked him up to an electric fence. But that was when rangers played rough with problem critters and they were half scared of people.
 
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Mother Nature is PO'd and fighting back.

After 20 years (next year) as a professional Wildlife Biologist I've just about seen it all. Don't even warn 'em anymore== just shake my head and get the first aid kit outta my truck!
 
Burned in my memory banks is the video of the person who walked up to within a couple of feet of a bull buffalo in the parking lot at the lower falls at Yellowstone that is on the "net". He learned how to be a clown at the bull riding events at Rodeos in about 30-45 seconds. Forrest Gump had a great quote " stupid is as stupid does".
 
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Our town was just in the news about having an unusually high number of rattlesnakes finding their way into people's yards and garages. Everyone is warned to be careful and on the lookout. I think all the new construction going on is driving snakes into neighborhoods. We have a pair of Red Shoulder Hawks that hunt the creek and strip of open space behind the house and I have seen them eat snakes on many occasions.
 
humans believe that they are at the top of the food chain.........thus, the delusion of invincibility is perceived.....

I always wondered about that theory. If a human is swimming in the open ocean...and there are Great Whites frolicking about...are humans really the "apex predator" at the top of the food chain? It seems that we humans can only win when 1. the odds are stacked in our favor, 2. we have our technologies/tools to assist us, and 3. we come in numbers. In a truly one-on-one fair-fight, there's a whole legion of critters who can easily put the whoop on us puny, physically unremarkable animals.
 
I remember a guy that I will call "Sam". Sam liked to show off at summer camp with the National Guard. I saw him drink a half bottle of Wild Turkey in just a few minutes, like to have killed him.

Sam and a friend went to Yellowstone, and since Sam was not one to follow rules, they went several miles into a restricted area to camp. Sam and friend had a run in with a grizzly, Sam lost, but his friend escaped. The bear ate Sam.

His family sued and won a large amount of $$$$ because of Sam's stupidity, but the courts overturned the ruling.

That's the only bear story I know.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
I always wondered about that theory. If a human is swimming in the open ocean...and there are Great Whites frolicking about...are humans really the "apex predator" at the top of the food chain? It seems that we humans can only win when 1. the odds are stacked in our favor, 2. we have our technologies/tools to assist us, and 3. we come in numbers. In a truly one-on-one fair-fight, there's a whole legion of critters who can easily put the whoop on us puny, physically unremarkable animals.

Humans are only the "apex predator" because of their abbility to create tools that gave an "edge" to an otherwise weak creature.

Those hypocrites who believe mankind should me unarmed and live "peacefully" with other critters should bear in mind that if so. We either be extinct by now, or make our living somewhere in between a chimp and a gorilla.

Edit. On second thouhgts. I'm more inclined to extinct.:rolleyes:
 
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